A flooded basement, bathroom, kitchen, or another area of your home is never a welcomed event. Unfortunately, plumbing problems like leaky pipes, clogged drains, and faulty sewer lines can cause homes to flood. If you find yourself in this ruinous situation, follow these suggestions from our South Pasadena plumbers to protect your property and members of your household.

Turn Off the Electricity to the Affected Area

Water and electricity are never a good combination. If you have standing water anywhere in your home, turn off the electricity to that area of the house until all the water has been removed.

Keep Everyone Away from the Flooded Area

Standing water can be hazardous when it contains raw sewage. Also, stagnant water can breed bacteria quickly. This often happens in situations when homeowners are away for an extended period of time only to return to find that a pipe broke and several inches of water has filled their home. When you have flooding in the home, cordon off the affected area and keep small children and pets away.

Get Rid of the Water

If you have a small area of your home that has taken on water, you can try to remove the water yourself using buckets. Some homeowners may also use wet/dry vacuums to remove the water. If you choose this removal method, be careful not to let the cord touch the water. We recommend hiring a water removal company to help you with this step.

Dispose of Damaged Household Items and Building Materials

Once all the water has been removed, you’ll need to tear out any flooring, baseboards, drywall, or ceiling materials that have been damaged. Also, clear out furniture and place them in a sunny, warm, and dry location to finish drying out. Some people try to salvage some building materials, but doing so can be harmful. It doesn’t take long for mold to form. Also, water damaged construction materials are weakened and could affect the structural integrity of your home.

Call a Licensed Plumber in South Pasadena

After you’ve cleared the area, call a plumber to inspect the situation. You don’t want this to happen again. Hiring an expert to inspect for hidden leaks and diagnose the problem will help you figure out what happened. Once you know what caused the problem, you and your plumber can work together to come up with a repair or replacement solution to ensure you don’t have water damage again.

Did you know you can prevent most flooding problems? Faulty sump pumps, broken pipes, and damaged sewer lines are just three examples of problems that can lead to flooding. Luckily, with routine maintenance, most of these issues can be resolved before disaster strikes. Call My South Pasadena Plumber Hero today to learn more about our preventive maintenance plumbing services!

At My South Pasadena Plumber Hero, we answer questions for our customers every day. Many of our customers’ questions have to do with drainage issues. Recently, a customer asked us the following question:

When I do several loads of wash within a few hours, the my toilet starts to back up. When I only do one load, nothing happens. What’s going on with my plumbing? Do I need a plumber?

This is a classic sign that you probably have a clog in the main line. Anytime other drains in the home start to back up when a water-using appliance is being operated it’s a sign you need a main line clean out.

Can I Clean the Main Line Myself?

This is another question that we’re asked often. Unfortunately, the answer is no. Main line or sewer clean outs are professional jobs that only licensed plumbers should perform. The good news is that My South Pasadena Plumber Hero can help you with this job quickly and for less than you imagine.

Additional Signs of Sewer Clogs

A toilet backing up when the washing machine is being used is only one sign of a clogged sewer. You might have no problem using your washing machine, but have other issues that require your immediate attention. Below are other situations that indicate your main line has issues. If you notice any of the following, call one of our Pasadena plumbers for a sewer inspection:

• Sewage odors coming from any drain in the house
• Sewage odors outside around where the sewer line is buried
• More than one drain backing up in the house at one time
• Recurrent clogs that don’t respond to plunging
• Continuing drain problems and you have older sewer pipes

Whenever you think there’s a sewer problem, call an experienced plumber right away. Sewer issues can get out of hand very fast. The sooner a homeowner calls for sewer services, the less costly the repairs may be.

Preventing Sewer Backups

No one wants to deal with a main line clog. It’s messy, time consuming, and costly. Fortunately, many backups are preventable.

The best way to avoid backups is to be careful about what goes down the drain. Remember, every ounce of water or other substance that is flushed or rinsed down the drain goes through the main line. Therefore, it’s important to flush wisely and use as few chemicals as possible.

Another way to prevent backups is to restore old sewer lines. Many people live in older homes with their original sewer pipes. These pipes may have cracks or other damage that invited root intrusion, critters, and dirt into the pipe, which can all cause blockages. Restoring older pipes by relining them through a trenchless pipe lining process call cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining is the best way to keep drainage issues from affecting older sewer pipes.

Schedule a Sewer Inspection

It’s impossible for people to know the condition of their sewer pipes without professional help. At My South Pasadena Plumber Hero, we offer sewer camera inspection services to help you stay on top of any potential problems in the sewer line.

For more information about sewer inspections, sewer clean out, or other sewer services, call us today to schedule a consultation with a licensed plumber in South Pasadena, CA.

Did you know that online review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List help plumbers in South Pasadena increase customer satisfaction and offer better plumbing solutions. For these reasons, we always encourage our customers to leave reviews after receiving plumbing service.

Some plumbing companies are scared of being reviewed, but not us. We see them as a way to reach other customers while improving our customers’ experiences.

Online Reviews Are a Win-Win Situation

Potential customers use online review sites to find plumbers just as often as they seek personal referrals. In fact, these days, consumers rate review sites as credible as word-of-mouth referrals. When potential customers visit a review site, they are searching for customer reviews, but also the following information:

• Service area
• Contact info
• Operating hours
• Pictures
• Special offers

Having this information in one place empowers customers to make a decision quickly so they can get their drains cleared, water heaters installed, or whatever plumbing service they need.

From a business perspective, online reviews can encourage plumbers to always bring their A-game and increase their industry knowledge to better serve their customer base. It’s also a great way to take advantage of free advertising. Plumbing companies like ours that have detailed review sites not only generate leads, but can convert those leads to new customers right away.

Plumbing Companies Should Respond to Online Reviews

We know that it’s important to take notice of all reviews to improve customer relations.

We appreciate that our customers take the time to tell us about their experience. Good, bad, or indifferent, we take notice.

Plumbing companies can improve their customer satisfaction ratings on online review sites by addressing concerns right away. Creating a dialogue with a previous customer can clear up miscommunication and shows potential customers that this is a company that values their customer’s experiences.

Actively reviewing customer comments also helps plumbing companies determine what their customers’ needs are now and in the future. This is powerful, revenue-generating information that companies can use to add skills and tools to the business that will benefit customers in the long-run.

Plumbing services in South Pasadena like ours that take notice of reviews often discover new ways to serve their customers. For example, online reviews have helped us do the following:

• Discover communities that are underserved
• Find there is a need for 24-hour plumbing service
• Learn that our customers want faster, effective plumbing solutions like hydro-jetting drain cleaning

These are just a few examples of how online review sites are bridging the gap between the customer and plumbing companies.

Word of Caution

We know that word-of-mouth is not enough to sustain a business in a crowded industry. What allows a plumbing company to thrive is superior customer service, first-rate technology, expertise, and an online reputation.

Unfortunately, not all plumbing companies’ online reputations can be trusted.

It’s common knowledge in the home service industry that some companies will pay for 5-star reviews. These reviews are posted by people who may or may not have had any direct contact with the company. Which is why consumers need to be wary of companies with so-called perfect reviews.

How can potential customers avoid being duped by online reviews? We suggest looking at several sites to compare reviews. Consistent reviews written by actual customers that detail the services received and are written fairly well are the most trustworthy. If a company has 100+ Yelp reviews with an average score of around 4.5, that’s a company to consider.

My South Pasadena Plumber Hero offers 24-hour emergency drain and rooter service for homes and businesses in the area. To learn more about the company, check out our online reviews and then give us a call. We’re always happy to meet new customers and get them expert plumbing services they deserve.

 

Is it time to buy a new water heater for your home? This is a big purchase and something you want to get right from start to finish. From selecting a new appliance to professional hot water heater installation, South Pasadena plumbers are available to help you today. Don’t go at it alone. Consider the following three reasons for hiring a licensed plumber today.

Select an Energy-efficient Water Heater

Today, homeowners have many choices when buying a new water heater. Many of these options are energy-efficient and will pay for themselves in terms of energy usage after just a few years. With so many options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. A licensed plumber can help you go over the features and benefits of models that are in your budget so you make a purchase you’re happy with for years to come.

Professional Installation Preserves the Warranty

Many people shrug off the benefits of professional hot water heater installation in South Pasadena. They underestimate just how hard it can be to install a gas or electric water heater or even a tankless hot water heater. If the appliance isn’t installed according to manufacturer recommendations, any warranty attached to the heater could be voided. A voided warranty means you’ll be paying for repairs that you may not have normally been responsible for. Also, if you install the water heater wrong, you’ll end up paying a professional to fix your mistakes.

Choose the Best Location

A lot of homeowners take the opportunity to upgrade to a tankless water heater when their tank heater goes out. One of the obstacles associated with this upgrade is finding a good spot for the heater. Local plumbers in South Pasadena like the ones at My South Pasadena Plumber Hero can assist you in finding the right spot for your new water heater.

If you’re in the market for a new water heater, call us today for professional hot water heater installation. Our prices are exceptional and unbeatable, and our services are always guaranteed from beginning to end. Call today!

After flushing the commode, does the toilet continue to run? Does it fill and refill without ever being flushed? When this happens, there is likely a leak that needs repaired. Some kinds of leaks need professional toilet leak repair, while other problems handy homeowners may be able to fix without placing a service call.  Here are some parts of the toilet you can check to see what is causing the problem.

Perform a Water Level Check

One of the easiest ways to check for a leak is to record the water level in the toilet tank. Take a marker and mark where the water is. Next turn off the water to the toilet. Check the tank after an hour or two. If the water level has fallen, you know a leak exists between the tank and the bowl.

Faulty Flappers

The rubber flapper in a toilet’s tank can easily tear or breakdown over time. When this happens, it doesn’t create a tight seal and water can get through. This will cause the toilet to run without turning off. Replacing this flapper is simple. Home improvement stores sell replacement flappers for less than five dollars and can be replaced in under five minutes.

Examine the Fill Valve

A leak in the fill valve can also cause the water to run nonstop. You can check for this problem by flushing the toilet and lifting the float arm while the tank is refilling. Adjust the arm so the water stops filling about 6 inches or so below the overflow pipe. When the float arm is in this position, you should be able to notice if there is a leak in the valve.

Call for Toilet Leak Repair Sooner than Later

Allowing a toilet leak to continue without repairs is wasting as much as 200 gallons of water daily. Why flush your hard-earned money down the toilet? If you’re not able to make repairs yourself or think that another problem may exist, call your friendly South Pasadena plumber. We’ll get a licensed plumber to your home in 90 minutes or less to examine and diagnose the problem – guaranteed.

The plumbing in your home is one of the biggest systems that work around the clock. When a toilet clogs or a leak develops, it’s not only an inconvenience, but it can put a huge dent in your savings. Luckily, South Pasadena homeowners have quite a bit of control over how well their plumbing systems work.

After 20+ years in the plumbing business, My South Pasadena Plumber Hero knows a thing or two about protecting drains and pipes. Here are 3 things that cause the most harm and should be avoided.

Chemical Drain Cleaners

Stop doing this right now! Everyone has used a chemical cleaner at one time or another. They are a cheap and instant solution for clogged kitchen and bathroom sinks, shower drains, and toilets. Unfortunately, they are ruining your pipes. These cleaners contain chemicals that will corrode pipes and lead to leaks.

Grease and Oil

It makes sense why you would rinse grease, oil, and fats from cooking down the kitchen sink. After all, isn’t that what the sink if for? The problem with doing this is that these substances harden as they cool creating a thick coating on the inside of the pipes that, after a short amount of time, can result in a blockage. Dispose of these substances in a glass jar or another container and throw them away.

Paper Products

Treating the toilet like a trash can is a big no-no. The only non-organic substance that should be flushed is one or two-ply toilet paper. Anything else like cleansing wipes, feminine hygiene products, paper towels, etc., should be thrown away in the trash.

I Have a Clog! Now What?

First, don’t panic. More likely than not it’s not a big deal. It’s something that can easily be taken care of with professional hydro-jetting.

Call My South Pasadena Plumber Hero and request a free, no-obligation, on-site evaluation. We’ll take a look at the problem and give you our expert advice about what you can do to get your drains, toilets, and sinks working like new again.